How I reduce my carbon footprint

Hi everyone! I'm happy to be a part of this new community and would like to educate more people on sustainability issue which I find a SUPER important subject to talk about.
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I try to be a good role model for everyone around me, which requires a lot of self-discipline and will power.

Besides taking care of my body by practicing yoga and working out every day, I also highly care about our planet and display it through my actions and lifestyle choices. After studying sustainability in UCLA Extension last year, I realized my lifestyle is far away from being zero-energy/ zero-waste. Unfortunately, living in an apartment building I have no control over certain things. For instance, there’s no composting in our building and anywhere nearby; there’s no solar panels on our roof; there’s no land for me to grow my own fruits/vegetables/herbs.

However, there are lots of things I CAN DO to reduce my environmental impact provided in the list below. I challenge you to join me on the path towards healthier and more sustainable lifestyle by picking 2-3 bullets points from this list and adapting those strategies.

I opt to bike or walk instead of driving as often as I can. Most of my clients are located 3-5 miles away from my house which makes it feasible for me to commute by bicycle.

I carpool or use public transportation for longer distance rides. I’ve used the Expo Line multiple times to get to Downtown LA- it’s a convenient, safe and cheap way. Round trip ride is $3.50 which is cheaper than parking in DTLA.

I use LED lights and turn the lights off when they are not being used. As simple as this sounds, I know way many people who don’t pay attention to such small details. By turning the lights off you will save electricity and money.

I shop at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

I always choose organic produce over non- organic because I support organic methods of agriculture. They are better for our health and the heath of soil.

I am on a plant-based diet which means I don't eat any meat, fish or dairy products.

I reduce waste by recycling and reusing stuff. For instance, instead of throwing away clothes, books or other old items, I donate them to Goodwill.

I have to admit that I prefer real books to their digital equivalents. However, instead of buying new books, I exchange books with my friends and I also buy used books on eBay or Amazon.

When purchasing clothing, I opt for high quality fabric such as hemp or organic cotton. I support small businesses that manufacture locally (such as Vitalhemp) or companies that have sustainable practices and policies such as Nike. Once in a while I buy second hand clothing.

To reduce water consumption, I take showers only once a day and use shower timer (5 min max). I load my dishwasher to its full capacity, instead of running it half-empty.

I prefer natural and organic personal care and cleaning products. My favorite companies are Method, Ecos, Seventh Generation

When on my period, I use a menstrual cup (the Moon Cup). You can purchase it on Amazon. It is made of silicon and thus reusable. It does require some skill initially, but after a few uses you will have no problem putting it in and taking it out. Such a great sustainable alternative to tampons or pads!

I invest time in my own education on sustainability buy reading articles, attending lectures, watching documentaries and listening to podcasts on the topic.

I spread the word and educate my family, friends and clients on how we can reduce our impact on environment by making small shifts in our every day routine.

What steps on a day to day basis do you take in order to reduce your carbon footprint???

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Your post has been discovered by @livesustainably I manage the#livesustainably tag.
@Livesustainably promotes and curates content that encourages and educates others in living sustainably.
At this time, as it is a new tag I am looking in in other channels. In the future you should post with the livesustainably tag so that you can get upvotes and curation from me. To find out more see my introductory post.

thank you! I will definitely include this tag in my following posts!

these are all great ideas - and done one on top of the other, they make a big difference!

i also walk as much as i can (easier in the summer than right now), and make it a point to use as few lights as i can while still being safe in the house. i make it a goal to eat in-season produce, so no strawberries in the winter unless they're the frozen local ones! all water-using machines are run on full, and i choose to line-dry my clothes & air dry the stuff in the dishwasher.

thank you for listing such easy ways to make an impact! following & resteeming!

Fabulous post!!!

If you're ever interested in joining a community on steemit with like- minded thinking and goals, let me know.
I'm the moderator for a community of homesteaders.

Way to go! I've lived in both settings and I don't know if it's any harder or easier to be sustainable in an urban or rural setting. What I do know is no matter where you live the hard part is making the intention and providing yourself with space and motivation to make the effort to live more sustainably and healthily. It takes effort to challenge yourself for improvement. Nice going making that effort @sustainabluh I appreciate it!

I try to reduce my carbon footprint by eating plant-based meals and supporting small local businesses! It's incredible what the power of the dollar can do in changing how you interact with the environment around you. Spending cash locally with real crafters and families helps boost local economy and gives power back to the people!

Hi and welcome to Steemit @sustainabluh I really enjoyed reading your introduction and yes you sound like a very good ecological role model. Sustainable living is what we like to achieve as well, please check out @mynaturebody posts are very good.

What a wonderful post and welcome to the Steemit Community! It is a pleasure to see you here. Resteemed, upvoted and follow!
Have a wonderful day!

your @mynaturebody🌱

Thank you so much

Yay! I love finding like minded individuals on here it's like winning the lottery, although I have to admit you are clearly winning at life when I am merely beginning the journey. Hats off to you. :) I want to have a small print on this planet and I am constantly bugging everyone around me about their wasteful tendencies, so I'm glad (as a minnow) to be able to start finding others who are better at this than I and I can learn some useful tips and help share information. Thank you! <3 Happy Steeming :)

you're very welcome! Btw, one of the first steps to understand where you can reduce your footprint is taking a test on footprintcalculator.org - I will post more about it in my next blog ;)

Awesome, Thank you for that! :) I will definitely check that out.